Members of Big River First Nation stand with new dog houses. Photo courtesy of Lyle Whitefish.
Children on the Big River First Nation were overjoyed when 30 dog houses, 60 hay bales and a shipment of dog food from a Saskatoon-based rescue agency were delivered to their elementary school last week.
The organization known as “We All Need a Rescue” also brought a smart car modeled after a dog for kids to take pictures with, toys for the children and they brought Santa to visit with the students at the Mistahi Sipiy Elementary School in the community.
“All the dogs were fed, they have a warm home, they have straw bales, it’s a great thing,” said Lyle Whitefish, the school’s principal. “It’s a whole day event, it’s a community event and we’re very happy to have them in our community.”
WANAR brought the gifts as part of their “Taking Christmas to the North” event which sees them bring a series of gifts for dogs and children in northern communities.
“The children really enjoy this,” said Laura Penner, the assistant coordinator for the organization. “Most of the time the children give us all the information, they tell us how to take care of the dogs, they tell us if there is dogs in this community and (ask), ‘is there anything we can do for this dog?'”
Penner says that there are no more trips planned by the organization for this Christmas season, but they do visit schools throughout the year that reach out to them.